SUNLIGHT ━━ frank castle

part v

"She's here." Matt calls out.

"And with two minutes to spare!" Amy calls out looking at her phone before high-fiving Dinah. "Your girl's punctual."

The sound of a suitcase rolling through the halls caught Frank's attention but he instead decided to ruffle Amy's hair as you walked through the door.

"Oh my god!" Karen exclaimed, making Frank snap to attention.

"What?" Matt asked confused.

What he saw made a whirlwind of emotions torment his mind.

"Holy shit." He distantly heard Amy whisper to herself.

"What?" He said more worried.

There you stood at the door holding a tray with four coffees, a backpack on your back, and a huge heavy-looking suitcase. The left side of your face was bruised, while the right side had a busted lip and rough-looking cut along your cheekbone with a nasty bruise under both. You look completely at ease and even rolled your eyes at Karen and Amy's reactions, putting the coffee down on the table next to the door and letting your backpack fall down next to them with a loud thud. You turn back to the group, mouth open and ready to say something but then something shifts in your expression.

Your eyes widen, your shoulders bunch up and suddenly the only thing about you that's moving is the harsh rise and fall of your chest as your breathing picks up. Fear, Frank realises, is what's taken over your body. Pure fear as your hands curl into fists to stop them from shaking. He starts walking towards you slowly, putting his hands up to show he doesn't have anything in them.

"Hey," He says softly, trying to draw your attention to him.

"That's John Pilgrim." You say, eyes not leaving the spot beside Frank's head.

He turns to see that John has turned from whatever quiet conversation he was having with Dinah to look at you.

Frank makes it to you, putting his hands on your shoulders heavily and turning your body away. You didn't take your eyes off John, fear still seizing your body.

"Hey, hey," Frank called out softly. "Look at me, sweetheart." You brought your hands up to his chest, gripping the jacket there in a grip no one could break away from. When you still didn't look at him he gripped your chin in his fingers and forced you to look away, to focus on him instead of John. "What'd he do? Hm? Hey, you can tell me. What'd he do?"

It was a simple enough question but your eyes held a lifetime of pain in them. He knew what that was like, to have something so horrible happen in the past and have to live the rest of your life carrying it with you. You searched for that in his own eyes, the understanding, the sharing of grief, the fucked up world you left for the fucked up world he lived in.

You let go of his jacket and held your hands up, palms facing you, to show him the scars you never talked about. His eyes went straight to the bruises adorning your knuckles, feeling a swell of pride swell up in him that whatever happened, you made it out alive. But he knew that wasn't what you were talking about. And he felt the pride slip when he met your eyes again.

"You ever seen a crucifixion?"

The realisation hit him in full force and for just a second he contemplated strangling the life out of John for you to watch. To bash his head against the ground until it split open. To carve his heart out of his chest with his bare hands. He briefly closed his eyes, turning his head before bringing you in closer to kiss your forehead instead. He kept you there longer than he usually does, letting you choose when to pull away.

"I've been informed of your situation, miss," John speaks up at probably the most inopportune moment making you turn your head back to him but not leave Frank's comfort. "Whatever this face and name have done to you, I sincerely apologise."